Air release mechanism for dispensing apparatus



Feb. 6, 1934. c. P. GRIFFITH AIR RELEASE MECHANISM FOR DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed'March 19, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "Feb 6, 1934. cLP. GRIFFITH AIR RELEASE MECHANISM FOR DISPENSING APPARATUS '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES AIR RELEASE MECHANISM FOR DISPENSING APPARATUS Clement P. Grifl'ith, Fort Wayne, Ind., assignor to S. F. Bowser & Company, Inc., Fort Wayne,

Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application March 19, 1930. Serial No. 436,933

14 Claims.

My invention relates to air release mechanism and is particularly adapted for use in connection with sight discharges of dispensing apparatus, although it may have a general application One of the objects of my invention-is the provision of improved and efficient mechanism for releasing automatically the air or other gases Which accumulate from flowing liquid in a sight discharge or other container.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ejector tube for preventing the accumulation of air or other gases in the top or upper portion of a sight discharge device so as to maintain the latter filled with liquid.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of improved and eflicient means for preventing accumulation of air in the upper portion of the container while the top thereof remains closed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of air ejector mechanism for the sight dis charge, combined with means for opening the same to the atmosphere at will.

More particularly it is the object of the present invention to provide in dispensing apparatus a sight discharge which shall be maintained constantly filled with liquid during the delivery operation of the dispensing apparatus by providing the sight discharge with air ejector mechanism operated by the flowing liquid.

Other objects of the present invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a dispensing unit to which my invention is particularly adapted;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the sight discharge unit shown at the top of Fig. 1, but with the key added thereto; V

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lower casting or housing shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of a modification. The dispensing unit shown in Fig. ,1 may be of the meter type in that when the lever 5 is pressed toward the nozzle housing 6 the valve '1 will be opened to effect discharge from the nozzle 8. The controlling mechanism in the housing 9 will effect flow of liquid through the standpipe 10 into the sight discharge l1 and thence into the hose 12. 50 The amount of gasoline dispensed may be indicated on the dial 13. If the housing 9 contains pumping mechanism, the standpipe 10 may be a priming column. Fig. 2 shows the sight discharge in sectional 55 elevation at the upper end of the standpipe 10. i A manifold or casting 14 has a chamber 15 which communicates with the pipe 10. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the manifold 14 and shows openings 16, 16 which communicate with the chamber 15. Therefore when the gasoline flows upwardly through the pipe 10 into the chamber 15, it may enter the glass cylinder 17 of Fig. 2 through the openings 16, 16 shown in plan view in Fig. 3.

The glass cylinder 17 may be mounted on a cork gasket 18 and secured in place by a filler inserted at 19. In a similar manner, the cover or cap 20 is mounted by means of the cork washer or gasket 21 on top of the glass cylinder 17 and a filler 22 used to secure the cap 20 to the upper part of the cylinder 17. The fillers 19 and 22 may hermetically seal the glass cylinder to the manifold 14 and the cover 20 so that no liquid can escape from the sight discharge when the dispensing unit is operated and gasoline is being delivered from the nozzle 8.

Whenever the dispensing unit is operated to deliver'gasoline to a customer, whether in the wet hose system or in the dry hose system, the sight discharge should be completely filled with liquid. The plate shown at 23 in Fig. 2 may have suitable wording thereon to notify the customer that by observing the sight discharge he can be assured that he is obtaining full measure. The indicator plate may be secured to the manifold 14 as shown at 24 in Fig. 2. I

In the wet hose system, when the lever 5 is released and the valve 7 is closed automatically, the hose 12 remains filled with liquid and the indicator plate 23 should then have thereon as shown in Fig. 2 the words Glass must be full before and after delivery.

It should be understood that the cap or cover 20 is intended to be permanently connected to the top of the glass cylinder 1'7 and that the latter is to be permanently connected to the manifold 14. For this purpose, there is distributed as indicated in Fig. 3 a series of tie rods 25 around the peripheries of the manifold 14 and .the cap or cover 20 and screw caps 26 mounted on the upper ends of the rods to securely clamp the parts toether.

At the center of the manifold 14 is a downwardly extending outlet opening 27 which communicates with the discharge opening 28 in the manifold 14. To the discharge outlet 28 is secured the upper end of the hose 12 asshown in Fig. 2.

Surrounding the outlet opening 27 is a cylinder 29 which extends upwardly into the central portion of the glass cylinder'l'l. The cylinder 29 serves as a guide for the impact ring 30 which at its periphery is provided with an upwardly extending flange 31. It will thus'be seen that the cylinder 29 forms a closure for the central circular opening in the impact indicator 30 during a portion of the upward movement of the impact ring.

The impact ring 30 is provided with guide tubes 32 which are secured at their lower ends to the bottom of the impact device 30 as shown in Fig. 2.

These guide tubes are slidable vertically on the vertical rods 33, 34 and 35 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The lower ends of the guide rods 33, 34 and 35 are screw-threaded into the manifold 14 as illustrated at 36 in Fig. 2.

The peripheral cylindrical surface of the part designated 31 may be provided with such words as Flowing to car which will be visible to the purchaser of gasoline while the gasoline is being delivered. It should be particularly noted that the sliding tubes 32 may be of such length that their upper ends may abut against the lower annular surface 37 of the cap 20 to keep the impact indicator within view while at the same time the bottom of the impact device is well above the upper end of the cylinder 29 so that there will be free flow of the gasoline into the cylinder 29 and the outlet 2'? while the cylindrical part 31 of the impact indicator remains in its uppermost position. The impact device 30 will be guided back to its initial position by means of the guide rods 33, 34-and 35.

When the gasoline flows upwardly from the standpipe 10 into the sight discharge the air therein tends to accumulate in the upper portion of the sight discharge and I have therefore provided an ejector tube 38 with an inlet opening therein at 39 in the space where the air tends to accumulate. The upper end of the ejector tube 38 may be bell-shaped as shown at 40 in Fig. 2.

The upper bell-shaped end 40 of the ejector tube 38 may be secured to the air release body member 41 in any suitable manner so that when the member 41 is unscrewed at 42 from the vent 43 in the top of the cover 20, the air ejector tube 38 will be withdrawn with the member 41.

The air release body member 41 is cup-shaped and screw-threaded on its inner cylindrical wall at 44 to receive the compression plug 45 to the lower end of which is secured by means of the screw 46 a washer 4'7. This washer is adapted to be seated on the annular seat 48. Therefore when the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 2, the vent 43 is hermetically sealed at 42 by means of the air release body member 41 and the uppermost bell-shaped end 40 of the ejector tube 38 is hermetically sealed from the atmosphere by means of the washer 47 resting on the seat 48.

When the dispensing apparatus is first started in the morning, particularly in the wet hose system, it may be desirable to quickly release the air in the sight discharge which would be confined when dispensing operations are started. For this purpose, akey 49 is provided to fit into a socket 50 in the upper side of the compression plug 45. While retaining the air release body member 41 connected to the vent 43, the washer 47 may be removed from the seat 48 and the plug 45 removed from the cup-shaped member 41. Then the air in the sight gauge may flow through the opening 39 directly to the atmosphere through the bell-shaped mouth 40 at the uppermost end of the ejector tube 38, until the gasoline entirely fills the sight gauge, whereupon the key 49 may be used to replace the plug 45 to the position in Fig. 2.

It is preferred to have the ejector tube 38 extend into the flowing gasoline so that the current of the flowing liquid will eflect a suction at the lower end of the ejector tube 38 and in that way draw the air into the opening 39 and cause such air to flow through the hose 12 with the gasoline being delivered. While in some instances the lower end of the ejector tube 38 may project into the cylinder 29, I prefer to have it project into the hose 12 where the diameter of the flowing liquid is at a minimum and where it is flowing fastest per unit of volume and thereby producing the greatest suction on the lower end of the ejector tube 38.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modified structure comprising a manifold 14 with an inletopeningat 10' and an outlet opening at 28'. The glass cylinder 17' has surmounted thereon a cover 20 secured to the glass cylinder 1'7 and bolted to the manifold 14 by means of the tie rods 25 and screw caps 26' in the manner described in connection with Fig. 2.

In Fig. 4 an integral cylindrical tube 51 extends upwardly into the glass cylinder 17'. Spaced above the upper end of the tube 51 is a spinner 52 pivoted to the lower end of the rod 53 which is rigidly secured at 54 to the lower side of the cover 20.

The structure shown in Fig. 4 embodies an ejector tube 38', the lower end of which is adapted to extend into the hose connected to the outlet 28. The upper end of the ejector tube 38' is screw-threaded at 55 to the bottom of the cover 20 so as to be rigidly connected thereto. An inlet opening 39' is located at the upper end of the ejector tube 38' just beneath the bottom of the cover 20'. During operation the ejector tube 105 38' remains in fixed position rigidly connected to the cover.

Both in the form shown in Fig. 2 and in the form shown in Fig. 4, the air ejector mechanism has no moving parts and during operation the 11C cover remains imperforate. Only when operations are to be started for the day is the sight discharge in the form shown in Fig. 2 vented to the atmosphere. At all other times it is intended that the cover shall remain closed and 115 the ejector tube operated automatically to prevent the accumulation of the air in the top of the sight discharge. Since the sight discharge is intended to be filled with liquid both before and after delivery, it is diflicult to determine on 12C account of the transparency of the liquid whether it is flowing or not. In the form shown in Fig.

2 such flow will be indicated by the rising of the impact indicator 30 and in the form shown in Fig. 4 such flow will be indicated by the rotation 12E- of the spinner 52 which is pivotally mounted at the lower end of the rod 53. However, I do not wish to be limited to the use of the ejector mechanism in a wet hose system as it is also applicable to a sight discharge in a dry hose system. When 13? used in a dry hose system the ejector tube 38 in Fig. 2 or the ejector tube 38 in Fig. 4 will remain rigidly connected to the cover and the cover will remain imperforate during operation.

In a dry hose system the inlets and outletsof 135 the ejector tube may be proportioned to effect more rapid elimination of the preliminary accumulation of the air.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement 143 of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended and I wish therefore not'to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus fully disclosed an embodiment of my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a sight gauge for liquid dispensing apparatus, the combination with an enclosurehaving an inlet and an outlet and a transparent wall, means in said enclosure and visible through the transparent wall thereof and located in position to be actuated by fluid flow between the inlet and outlet to provide a visual flow indication, and means associated with said outlet for ejecting through said outlet accumulated gases in the upper portion of said enclosure.

2. The combination with a sight gauge adapted to be positioned at the top of a priming column of dispensing apparatus and having a liquid discharge opening, said sight gauge having a closed top, and means associated with said discharge opening for ejecting accumulating air in said gauge while said top remains closed, and means disposed within the sight gauge and operable by fluid flow in the sight gauge and visible from outside of the gauge to provide a visual indication of fluid flow in the gauge.

3. The combination with a sight gauge having a liquid discharge opening, of means for keeping said sight gauge entirely filled with liquid while the liquid is flowing therethrough, means automatically operated by the flow of liquid from said liquid discharge opening for withdrawing air from said gauge, and a device within said gauge to indicate flow while said sight gauge remains filled with liquid and liquid is flowing therethrough.

4. The combination with a sight gauge, of nonmovable means mounted in said gauge for withdrawing air therefrom, and movable means operable by flowing liquid to indicate such flow while the gauge is maintained full of liquid by elimination of air by said air ejector.

5. The combination with a sight gauge having a top with a vent therein, of an air release body member removably connected to said top in registry with said vent, and a compression plug assembly removably mounted in said air release body member.

6. The combination with a sight gauge having a top with a vent therein, of a removable closure for said vent, and an air ejector tube connected to said closure to extend down through the sight gauge, said tube being removable from the sight gauge with said closure.

7. The combination with a sight gauge, of an air ejector tube in said sight gauge, and a removable closure for a vent in the top of said sight gauge.

8. In a sight gauge, the combination with a cover having a vent opening therein, of a valve cup screw threaded into said vent opening, and a plug valve screw threaded into said cup.

9. An indicator for wet hose liquid dispensing apparatus comprising a casing having'a visible chamber through which the liquid passes, an inlet conduit in the casing adjacent the bottom of the chamber terminating in an upwardly directed orifice action to direct the liquid against the top of the casing from where it flows downwardly, an outlet conduit at the bottom of the casing to receive the down flow of liquid, an ejector tube extending from the top of the chamber downwardly terminating adjacent the bottom of the chamber in the down flow of liquid acting to extract air or gas from the chamber and a movable vane within the chamber acted upon by the liquid to give a visible indication when the liquid is flowing therethrough.

10. An indicator for wet hose liquid dispensing apparatus comprising a vertically disposed hollow open-ended transparent cylinder, a closure for each end forming a visible chamber, an inlet conduit in the lower closure terminating in an upwardly directed orifice disposed centrally of the lower portion of the chamber and acting to direct the liquid against the upper closure from where it flows downwardly, an outlet conduit in the lower closure to receive the down flow of liquid, an ejector tube extending from the upper end of the chamber downwardterminating adjacent the bottom of the chamber in the down flow of liquid acting to extract air or gas from the chamber, and a vane located adjacent the inlet orifice acted upon by the upwardly directed liquid to indicate flow of liquid through the chamber.

11. An indicator for wet hose liquid dispensing apparatus comprising a casing having a visible chamber therein through which the liquid flows, an inlet conduit in the casing terminating adjacent the lower portion of the chamber in an upwardly directed orifice acting to direct the liquid against the top of the casing from where it flows downwardly, an outlet conduit at the bottom of the casing to receive the down flow of liquid, an ejector tube extending from the top of the casing downwardly and terminating adjacent the lower portion of the casing in the down flow of liquid acting to extract air or gas from the chamber, means forming a support extending substantially centrally of the upwardly opening inlet orifice, and a vane rotatably mounted on the support adjacent the inlet orifice acted upon by the upwardly flowing liquid to indicate movement thereof through the chamber.

12. An indicator for wet hose liquid dispensing apparatus comprising a casing having a visible chamber through which the liquid passes, an inlet conduit terminating in an orifice acting to direct the liquid upward into contact with the top of the chamber from where it flows downwardly, an outlet conduit which receives the down flow of liquid, an ejector tube extending from the upper end of the chamber downward terminating adjacent the bottom of the chamber in the down flow of liquid acting to extract air or gas from the chamber and a movable vane within the chamber acted upon by the liquid to give a visible indication when liquid is flowing therethrough.

13. A sight gauge adapted to be positioned in the top of a priming column of fluid dispensing apparatus comprising a casing having a liquid inlet opening and a liquid discharge opening adapted for connection to a dispensing hose, an ejector tube having an inlet opening located in the upper portion of the sight gauge and an outlet opening disposed in the path of liquid flowing through the discharge opening and a rotating vane in the sight gauge adjacent the inlet open- 135 ing in position to be actuated by the liquid flowing into the gauge through the inlet opening in order to provide a visual indication of the flow of liquid through the gauge.

14. The combination of a sight gauge having 140 a cover and a discharge opening, and means rigidly connected to and depending from the cover and extending within the sight gauge and providing for visual indication of liquid .flow through the sight gauge and for the withdrawal, through 145 the outlet opening, of air entrapped in the upper portions of said gauge in the vicinity of the cover.

CLEMENT P. GRIFFITH. 

